Jordan Monaghan trial hears about the day toddler son died

A mother found her baby boy dead in his pushchair after the father took him swimming, a court heard.

Alleged triple killer Jordan Monaghan took his 21-month-old son Logan to a local swimming baths in Blackburn, eight months after he had smothered Ruby, his 24-day-old baby daughter, Preston Crown Court heard.

In a taxi on the way Logan was described as "happy, talking, behaving normally", Duncan Smith QC told the jury.

But after going to the changing rooms, Monaghan left for home with the child around 2.30pm on August 17 2013, about half an hour after arriving, without having had a swim.

Back home he told the child's mother, Laura Gray, the boy had been "fine" but did not go swimming because he had forgotten to take swimming trunks and their son was now sleeping.

But at shortly before 4pmMiss Gray, 28, went to check on her son still in his buggy.

Mr Smith told the court: "She lifted up the rain cover and immediately knew something was wrong.

"Logan was not breathing.

"He was a very pale colour.

"Miss Gray instinctively realised Logan was dead."

She rang for an ambulance, but paramedics could find no signs of life and resuscitation attempts in hospital were unsuccessful.

Monaghan, a digger driver with a gambling problem and debts, had rowed with his partner Miss Gray who had said she was leaving him, the court heard.

The defendant had texted her the day before Logan's death saying, "I love you...I don't want to lose you", and the child's death brought them closer together, the jury was told.

He is also accused of the murder of Ruby Monaghan on New Year's Day 2013.

Monaghan said he had found his daughter in her Moses basket not breathing.

A post-mortem conducted by a pathologist concluded Ruby had died from acute broncho-pneumonia.

But it is now alleged neither child's death could be explained by illness, genetic defect or natural causes and in fact Monaghan deliberately obstructed the breathing of both children to murder them.

Monaghan is also alleged to have tried to kill a third child, who cannot be identified, before murdering his new partner, Evie Adams, 23, in October 2019, by using prescription drugs Tramadol and Diazepam.

Monaghan, of Belgrave Close, Blackburn, denies three counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder and two counts of cruelty to a child, all between January 1 2013 and October 24 2019.

The trial was adjourned until Thursday morning.